The College of Design alumna reflects on seven years of Alumni Association leadership and the future of alumni engagement.

Ever since sketching themepark rides as a six-year-old inspired by Disney’s Tower of Terror™, interior design graduate Karina Nelson (BS, ‘26) dreamed of creating immersive worlds. Now, after years of blending storytelling, design, and experiential thinking at the University of Minnesota College of Design, she is beginning her career with Walt Disney Imagineering. Nelson shared her reflections on the mentors, projects, and moments that shaped her path from aspiring “Imagineer” to professional designer. 

A recent Historic New England design competition, sparked by Allen Kolkowitz’s (B.Arch ’82) vision to replace a long-standing portable toilet at the iconic Gropius House with a more thoughtful visitor experience, was recently featured in The New York Times. Kolkowitz’s interdisciplinary approach to architecture and design also continues through the Kusske Design Initiative, which reflects the collaborative values he shared with partner Christopher Kusske (BLA ’78).

What if one of Minnesota’s most destructive invasive species could be used to bring communities together? Recent landscape architecture graduate Sean Durbin (MLA '26) transformed harvested buckthorn into a handcrafted marimba, creating a joyful new way for communities to engage in ecological restoration through sound, design, and collective action.

A globally recognized architect, educator, and College of Design alumnus, William D. Chilton returns to inspire the Class of 2026.

Through internships, leadership roles, and industry connections, Bailey Collmann (BS, Retail Merchandising, ’23) transformed her passion for retail into a full-time career at Target Corporation. Her journey highlights the hands-on learning and real-world opportunities that define the Retail & Consumer Studies program.

Landscape Architecture graduates from the College of Design are building careers that extend far beyond traditional practice. From climate resilience planning and campus development to cultural landscape preservation and public parks leadership, alumni are applying design thinking in powerful, interdisciplinary ways. Their work demonstrates how an education in landscape architecture equips graduates to navigate complex systems, collaborate across disciplines, and shape resilient, inclusive places.

When Fraser Hall reopened in the Fall of 2025, it redefined how the University of Minnesota teaches chemistry. Architect and professor at the College of Design, Jennifer Yoos, shares how her team at VJAA transformed the historic building into a collaborative, sustainable space for student learning.

A wildly popular product design course at the University of Minnesota College of Design gives students a hands-on learning opportunity that leaves them with real-world experience.

This fall, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities College of Design is opening a new chapter in the state’s creative economy with Minnesota’s first Bachelor of Science in User Experience (UX) Design. Born from the success of the college’s popular UX minor, the program gives students four years to explore the intersection of technology, design, and human behavior. Hear from two of our alumni on the formative impact the UX minor has had on their careers.